Student Services Manager
Reporting To: / Deputy Principal
Working Hours: / Full time- Permanent
Salary: / £35,654 - £40,171 (salary point 36 – 40)
Annual Leave: / 26electable days, up to 8 statutory days and up to 5 efficiency closure days at Christmas

Context

Plumpton College operates from multiple sites across Sussex through a diverse curriculum model incorporating a range of Further Education provision including Higher Education, short courses, work based learning and 14-16 yrs courses.

Job Purpose

This is a multi-aspect role within the CMT withresponsibility for the proactive delivery of key services to all students across all College sites. The post-holder will adopt a flexible and close working relationship with academic and support teams to ensure a consistently high quality service delivery to all students. In doing so the post holder will create and maintain a suite of key performance indicators to facilitate timely performance reporting. The underpinning factor common to all aspects of this role is the need to deliver the best possible experience for our students.

Leadership & Management:
  1. Lead the operation of the Student Services team under the oversight of the Deputy Principal.

  1. Provide line management support, induction, appraisal and day-to-day guidance to the Student Services team in accordance with College procedures. As part of this, to continually ensure the competence of all members of the team.

  1. To act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead for all students ensuring compliance with statutory legislation and LSCB recommendations. Achieved with support from Student Support Coordinators and the SMT.

  1. With support from the Residential Coordinator manage student accommodation on-site ensuring that all inspectorial frameworks and legislative standards are exceeded. As part of this, undertake full line management of the daytime cleaning team.

  1. Manage the delivery and ongoing development of cross-college support services against agreed targets with measureable KPIs. In doing so ensure the appropriate collaboration with other support teams and curriculum staff.

  1. Maintain all student services records to an accountable standard on an inspection ready basis. This includes but is not limited to student welfare notes, risk assessments, cleaning schedules, team meeting notes and student feedback notes.

  1. Undertake the duties of an identified Safety Manager in line with the College Health and Safety Policy. In doing so, ensure a strong culture of risk awareness and clear safe working practices amongst members of the team and accurate/timely accident reporting.

  1. Manage all delegated budgets in line with College procedures and in consultation with the Deputy Principal and Finance Manager to maximise efficiency and ensure that income and expenditure targets are met.

  1. With support from the Student Services Officermanage the delivery and ongoing development of student transport networks, bus contracts, ticket reconciliation and quality of service.

Student Experience:
  1. To act as a “super tutor” through the provision of advice, guidance and training to all staff in response to serious student welfare issues and key safeguarding priorities.

  1. Support the Student Participation Officer and Student Union to deliver an ongoing student enrichment and awareness programme for all students incorporating health promotion, equality & diversity, key national dates and sports & leisure activities.

  1. To lead on cross college CPD relating to safeguarding and student wellbeing matters.

  1. Student discipline – lead and manage inter-divisional student disciplinary cases up to the second formal warning stage ensuring the effective communication and involvement of curriculum staff.

  1. Oversee key student services such as counselling, medical arrangements, health promotion, first aid, lost property, student voice forums, common areas and facilities.

  1. Ensure the effectiveness of the college 24hr Wardening functions with support from the Residential Coordinator.

  1. Produce written reports to a high standard for both internal and external users. This includes the logging of student concern data in line with college policies.

Administration and Quality Improvement:
  1. In consultation and partnership with the CMT and SMT, project manage all student services activities and new ventures arising out of college growth and development activities.

  1. To include a live quality improvement plan, annual self-assessment and agreed service level agreement.

  1. To ensure a continual updating and refresh of professional knowledge relating to all aspects of the role identified through staff appraisal procedures, own research, the creation and maintenance of effective networks, external relationships and targeted CPD.

  1. To participate in an annual appraisal of performance as laid down in the College Guidelines.

Other duties:
  1. Develop and work to a service level agreement to ensure that the outputs of the team reflect college expectations.

  1. To undertake any other reasonable duties from time to time commensurate with the grade of the post as requested by the Senior Management Team or Principal.

  1. To produce presentations, reports and appropriate documentation as and when required by the Senior Management Team and/or Board of Governors.

Qualifications/Skills/Knowledge/Qualities

It is crucial that the successful candidate shares our core values to ensure equality of opportunity and common purpose in delivering the college’s strategic plan.

At Plumpton College we are:

  1. Professional
  2. Supportive
  3. Enterprising
  4. Passionate
  5. Ambitious and progressive

Essential criteria for the post
Strong leadership and management skills developed through experience and continuous professional development.
A proven track record in the maintenance and development of high standards and service deliverables both within the workplace and externally through contracts – to include the development of procedures, presentation of facilities and action-led interventions amongst staff.
Significant and recent experience of working with young people in a supportive roleinvolving external agency input and sensitive case handling.
A thorough understanding of professional standards and outstanding attention to detail. The ability to undertake effective interventions to maintain the same.
Evidence of change management and quality improvement within a similar context.
Line management experience with evidence of effective performance management within agreed frameworks.
The ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels including the ability to effectively lead team meetings.
A thorough understanding of the safeguarding protocols and issues affecting student welfare- evidence of confident and effective engagement with young people.
Excellent IT skills including proficiency in MS Windows based applications.
Budgetary management experience to include experience of procurement, forecasting and analysis across both income and expenditure budgets.
Sound understanding of health and safety legislation and practical application within a catering environment.
An organised and flexible approach to working hoursis necessary – some evening work is required.
The ability to produce high quality written reports.
Full UK driving licence.
Educated to a minimum of Level 2 in English & Maths (grade C or above/equivalent)
Desirable criteria
An understanding and experience of working within the legislative and inspectorial frameworks affecting college provision.
D1 driving licence entitlement.
Experience of working within a similar role.
Knowledge and experience of Management Information Systems for student records.
Project management experience.
Educated to degree level.
First Aid qualification.
PRINCE2 qualified.
Risk assessment training qualification.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Working Hours & main base of activity

Basic working hours are from 08.30 to 17.00 Monday to Friday but some flexibility will be required to meet the needs of the business. This is an all year round post. There will be some evening and weekend working required to support key activities, and whole college recruitment and promotional events.

The role is based from the main college site at BN7 3AE – however, a visible presence is required at other sites which will vary during the year. This will be especially important in line with our strategy to grow our out centres.

Annual Leave

The holiday year is from 1 September - 31 August each year. The annual leave entitlement for this role is 26 working days, plus up to 8 bank holidays and up to 5 efficiency days when the college closes at Christmas. Annual leave is bookable subject to business needs and should be planned and agreed with your Line Manager. Please note that no leave will be authorised for the first month and the final two weeks of each academic year. Annual leave sheets will be available from the start of the new holiday year.

Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

This post will be entitled to CPD for skills updating, personal and professional development. All CPD must be planned, agreed and booked with your Line Manager.

Benefits

The candidate appointed to the post will automatically become a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme and pay contributions as determined by annual salary levels. The pension scheme includes life assurance cover, and the College will also pay a contribution towards your pension. There is also free car parking and a competitively priced dining room service.

Equality and Diversity

Plumpton College is committed to the promotion of equal opportunities and is dedicated to pursuing non-discriminatory policies and practices and eliminating unfair discrimination on any basis. This means that no job applicant will receive less favourable treatment than another on grounds of gender, marital status, age, racial origin, disability, sexual orientation or political or religious beliefs.

Criminal Record Check via the Disclosure Procedure

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 gives individuals the right not to disclose details of certain old offences when asked about their criminal record as they may be defined as ‘spent’. There are exemptions to this if the individual is offered a post which involves contact with children or regular work at an establishment exclusively or mainly for children.

The post you have applied for falls into this category and, therefore, requires a criminal background check.

If a job offer is made, you will be asked to apply for a DBS Disclosure Certificate.The Disclosure Certificate will contain details of current and “spent” convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings held on the Police National Computer, excluding certain specified old and minor offences.

The DBS Disclosure will also indicate whether information is held on government faculty lists of those individuals who are barred from working with children or vulnerable adults (if applicable).

The post-holder cannot begin employment with the College until the DBS Disclosure Certificate is received and considered by the Principal.

Student Services Manager